Caged
by Shockinblue
Summary: Sakura was caged, caged by her love for Sasuke. But the bird on the other side is willing to help unlock her door.
1. Caged: Prologue

You know… I just really wanted to write a story with Neji and Sakura as a pairing. I did it in the past, but that wasn't a mature me writing. Now that I've grown up a bit, hopefully I can dish out something delicious. And hopefully, my skills aren't limited to just the kitchen. Like all my other stories, I really have no idea where this one will take me. I don't know where I will take it. But, I am aiming for this to have lots, and lots of chapters. And to end it with all the characters getting seriously old. Maybe, we'll see.

I will try to stay as close to the actual series' storyline and characters as possible but it will deviate eventually.

Enjoy.

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Caged

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She was desperate.

With fresh tears streaming mercilessly down her cheeks, she begged her only other teammate, "Please, bring him back."

And with the saddest smile anyone has ever seen, he replied, "It's a promise of a lifetime, Sakura-chan."

Within moments the ragtag group of boys sprinted from the entrance off into the forest, all except one who lingered a little longer.

This boy, no older than her by a year, caught her attention and held her stare. Into her eyes, he saw the hope, the despair, and the aching in her heart.

"You, too, are caged."

And then he, too, left, leaving her at the gate wondering what he meant.

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Three days will have passed before Sakura is allowed to visit the team that returned from their first failed mission.

The first person she visits is Rock Lee, to make sure he hasn't completely collapsed on his bed. He is doing single-armed push up when she walks in to say hello. She doesn't stick around and chat for too long, she still has others to visit, she says.

The second room she visits contains Chouji and Kiba. They are healthy with light scratches here and there. Chouji looks really slim, and in an alternate universe, she might have fallen for him. Just a thought, she thinks. Thanking them both for their efforts, she turns to find the next member.

The third person she visits is Neji, with Shikamaru already there. Briefly exchanging greetings, Shikamaru steps out and leaves her alone in the room with the patient. She isn't sure what she can say to him. For the last three days since his departure, the words have imprinted in her mind, replaying in his voice. Over and over, but the tone of the words do not change. It is not condescending; it is not said with spite. The tone makes it sound like fact. She is caged. But she does not know by what. So she asks.

And he replies, "You are caged by your love for him." As calm as always, he stares out the window as birds fly by. "I was once caged, too, but by my hatred for my clan and the Main Branch," he offers. She isn't sure what she should say. The answer he has provided brings forth a new wave of questions in her mind, questioning her from all perspectives of her previous actions up until today.

Without anything to offer to this topic she bows, "Thank you." It's all she can say before she backs out of the room and heads towards the last person.

As she walks down the hall, she thinks of all the possibilities of what could have been; and all those what-ifs being shattered by reality. She is no longer a child, hiding behind the legs of her parents. She is no longer that childish girl who changed herself for one boy. She is no longer the useless ninja – not even worthy of being called a kunoichi – that needs protection.

Her eyes light up with a new spark of life, something she had lost a long time ago. And when she nears the last door and swings it open, she sees the face of the boy – the one with undying determination, guts, and will – that helped her when she couldn't help herself. "Thank you," she tells him after listening to his words, "Please, Naruto, will you wait for me?"

He isn't quite sure what has brought about this change in his female teammate, and inside, he's pretty sure he should be happy for her. So all he does is smile bright and say, "Yeah sure, of course Sakura-chan!" She smiles back and dashes out of the hospital to the place she knows she needs to go.

When she is allowed entrance, she brings herself into a bow before staring straight into the eyes of the Hokage. "Tsunade-sama, please take me as your apprentice." And the Godaime stares at her behind those lashes and tries to measure this slip of a girl before her. The genin is thin, lacking muscle. She has no special features aside from her out-of-the-world colour scheme. But she sees the look in the girl's eye. So much like her own; with people she loves that she wants to protect. People she doesn't want to see die before her. She wants to save lives.

"Very well Haruno Sakura. Starting today you will be my second apprentice. I will train you hard, and I expect nothing but perfection in all your skills by the end. You will cry, you will bleed, and you will break bones and lose lives, and learn things the old-fashioned, hard way. I am nothing if not thorough. You will not be allowed to back out once you have committed yourself to this new life, to this new you. Are you sure you wish to become my apprentice?"

Sakura's face was serious as she replied, "Yes, Shishou!"

And a cycle of the seasons would pass before she met him again.

Corrected some spelling mistakes here and there on September 22, 2012.


	2. Growing

I forgot to apply the disclaimer in the first chapter. So just a heads up, these characters aren't mine. Just what I make them do and go through.

I'm glad to have received a couple of reviews and some follows. I'm not really one for reviews, but I love having people follow my story. I myself, follow a lot of stories. And that's when you know what you're writing is worth reading because people are so eager to read the next chapter.

However, in regard to one review, I have quite the point to make clear. First, I am not a "narutard." I do not obsess over the Naruto TV series; I do not know every jutsu, every phrase, every anything that happens in the show. I definitely don't think it's the best series that ever graced the earth. I don't have any Naruto-related item on my person, in my room, or in my household.

I like this series because of its characters, because of their personalities. Because of how well they mesh together, and how limited the relationships are between these characters. And what I write is born from the ideas in my head, and THEN inserting the "what if it were these characters?" after.

If this anonymous person who left that review thinks I'm a narutard, then, why did you even bother clicking the link to this story? Why bother coming on to this category of Fanfiction for that matter. Why even be here. Because you have nothing better to do with your time than to troll the internet and make yourself feel better by degrading everyone else.

Now then, I'm done with that and setting it aside. Here is the second chapter to this story. It's still in the beginning stages though, so it shouldn't pick up for a while. Sorry to anyone who showed interest in this plot, but it's going to take some time. Hope you don't mind too terribly.

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Growing

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Standing in front of the platform, she raised her hands over the fish and poured her chakra into it, healing and praying for its recovery. Several intense seconds later, the fish was flopping helplessly once again. Sakura lifted it and it splashed back into the water.

Rubbing the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand, she stepped back to admire her handiwork for the day. On the board to her left was a tally of her successful healing attempts. Next to it were pointers and notes she took down for this palm technique she was learning.

Below the board lied a couple of texts haphazardly strewn about. She walked over and started to tidy up. Her studying had come along swimmingly – no pun intended. Tsunade would teach her a technique once, and Sakura would memorize and perform until she mastered it. Then, shishou would show her the next technique. In between perfecting techniques, she also started physical training exercises as of last week. Currently, she was still being beaten around by the Hokage, but Sakura didn't regret a moment of it.

In fact, it only made her strive to be faster, stronger, and smarter. That and the Hokage also verbally threatened to end the apprenticeship if she doesn't start dodging (almost) perfectly by the end of the month. And so, between training and beat-up sessions, was also conditioning sessions where Sakura practiced her reflexs, responses, and instincts. Every day she made it a point to find an opponent and become target practice.

At first she turned to Naruto, who helped as much as he could before Jiraiya whisked him away for their private training. So then she turned to the rest of the Konoha Twelve. Eventually, she figured the best possible person to help her with dodging was Tenten. Every other day when they were free, they would meet up in the training grounds and have at it. Tenten was the perfect choice because she had perfect aim and she was never short of projectiles.

Sakura enjoyed the thrill of jumping, running, and sliding to avoid the weapons. Each time it improved, she didn't let it get to her head; she just kept practicing until it became natural for her. Within a month's time, Lee had happened upon them and volunteered to help her as well. Sakura was elated, because now the challenge just got tougher. Along with the weapons, Lee brought on his full taijutsu array of assaults. If it wasn't a kick here, it was a punch there. And if she did happen to get caught, he would throw her into the air where she was defenceless and Tenten would rain the weapons down on her.

By the end of every session Sakura would be drenched in her own blood and sweat, but as they wore on, the blood became less. When Tenten couldn't make it, Lee would spar with her instead in straight taijutsu, pushing her to the limit. Lee was strong, and fast even with his weights on. At one point, Sakura thought it was absolutely ludicrous how Lee could move with such heavy weights on him, and he even had the gall to offer her some lighter weights to start with.

Grudgingly – because she knew it would be a good idea, but didn't like the idea at first – she accepted the most basic weights for her hands and ankles. "We'll double the weight each time you start to get used to the current weight!" He said so jubilantly. A part of her wanted to knock that smile of his face. Just a small part.

The next day when she showed up for her session with Tsunade, the woman took a look at Sakura and asked about the weights. The only response she could muster with her heavy limbs was, "Lee." Nevertheless, she persevered, because she knew it would make her faster. And so the women continued their training session. At the end of their spars, Tsunade would nod approvingly at Sakura's training methods outside of their spars. In the last months she had begun to notice an improvement in Sakura's stamina, reflexes, and strength. It wouldn't be long before Sakura would land a blow that could hurt, Tsunade mused.

At the end of the day, a nice hot shower was the most welcome gift Sakura could ever hope for. But she doesn't dawdle for too long. The running water had a tendency to bring forth memories she had rather not remember. With a sigh, she enters her room in pajamas and warms at the idea of a good night's sleep.

But that in itself is soon taken away when Tsunade announces one day that Sakura will begin rounds at the hospital as a nurse. While studying extensively on the human body until she has it down to the very cell, she works on the civilians, without use of chakra. Using bandages, stitches, and doing general check-ups until she is tested to perfection by Tsunade. Failures and mistakes were not an option.

About two months after this, Sakura is allowed to work with children and shinobi. Although most are scrapes, and shallow cuts, Sakura is proud and happy to help everyone in her care. She is also, more often than not, scheduled night rounds so that her training is not affected by her shifts at the hospital. But luckily, these shifts are only twice a week. She can juggle all of this for now.

Around the half year mark into her apprenticeship, Sakura sits in the medic's rest room one day and believes it's been a while since she's seen anyone from the Konoha Twelve, aside from Lee and Tenten. So she makes a point to stop by some familiar places where she might run into some of them. On the rare day that she is free from all activities, she ventures into the village. It isn't long before she sees a loud blonde, a slouching young man, and another plump gentleman with chips in his hand.

"Ino!" Sakura calls out to them as she walks up, glad to finally see her best friend.

Ino turns and gasps before pulling Sakura into a quick hug, "Where have you been, Forehead!?" Sakura simply chuckles and says they have a lot to catch up on. Ino takes one glance at the rest of the team and whisks away her friend to a tea shop with a parting, "See you guys later! It's girl time!"

When they are seated across from each other in a quaint little booth the first words Ino says is, "Details, now." And her friend simply laughs sheepishly before recounting her tale of apprenticeship with the powerful Tsunade.

"You're lucky Forehead! You're the Hokage's apprentice!" Ino praises.

Somewhere along the conversation, Ino says she might pick up medical training too, because she thinks her heart can't take the entire mind-reading/interrogation thing her father does. And Sakura thinks it would be a wonderful idea, the village could always use more able-bodied medics – assuming Ino is able to be one.

With their bellies satisfied with dango and tea, they part ways again because Ino has another mission lined up with her boys. So Sakura makes her way down the street and spies a set of beautifully crafted weapons on display. She nears the stall and picks up one of the weapons, a tanto, and examines it with a critical eye. Although she is not a master like Tenten, Sakura has this niggling feeling that tells her, "This is the one." And so she makes a purchase for the tanto that comes with a sheath and a set of kunai. She thanks the vendor and decides to try out the weapon on the training field.

When she gets there, to her surprise, she bumps into someone she hasn't seen since… well-

"Kakashi-sensei!" She shouts up into the tree where he is perched with his novel. She waves at him to come down and he does so.

"Sakura, it's been a while. I hear you're the Hokage's apprentice now," he says with a bit of pride and ruffles her hair.

Sakura smiles proudly and proceeds to show him her latest weapon and asks if he can teach her how to properly use it.

"Well, since it has been a while since I last taught you," he proceeds without a care, "I guess I can show you the basics." And he takes her tanto into his hand and shows her the correct holds, grips, and swings with it. He also shows her a couple of stances to take when fighting with the weapon.

Sakura repeats after him and nods in understanding at the end of the lesson. "I think this will be the perfect weapon when I can't use my chakra directly. Thanks, Kakashi-sensei!" she beams at him and they part ways again as it gets darker.

She returns home a little bit later and after getting ready for bed, she pulls out the tanto and turns it over in her hand. Smiling secretly to herself, she sheathes the weapon and places it by her pack.

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It is a year into her apprenticeship when she begins to work on poison cases and minor surgeries. While studying every poison, antidote, and herb, she also performs exercises to increase her chakra reserves. When she isn't doing this, she accompanies Shizune to major surgeries and performs minor surgeries with other staff.

With the increase in her hospital work, she is upgraded from nurse position into one that is below Shizune's, and receives an office of her own. It is a rather spacious one, with file cabinets to the left, a desk and chair at the back by the windows, and shelves of medical texts on the right. Her first addition to her desk is a picture of Team 7 – something she cherishes dearly.

A week later, Tsunade calls her for an afternoon training lesson and shows her how to perform the (literally) earth-shattering move known as her chakra-enhanced strength. Sakura has seen the Hokage perform it numerous times, and is honoured to know how to use it. "It's not something everyone can do because this requires perfect chakra control, something you and I both share. Not even Shizune can do this."

And they set to practicing. It takes a total of three tries before Sakura manages to punch a crater – the size of a small city block – into the ground. Both women are proud of the accomplishment.

She now spends every moment in training to incorporate what she has learned into her spars. For the first half of her training session, she uses clones. Then, she meditates before spending the rest of the time practicing the timing and amount of chakra into her blows. She works on channeling the chakra to different parts of her body and the effects are tremendous.

Halfway into her training session, she stops at the chakra spike a couple yards behind her. She stops and turns to the person standing in the trees. "Hyuuga-san," she greets him.

Neji's eyes widen as he surveys the… destruction across the field. From craters to upturned forestry, it seems she's been learned more than just healing from the Hokage. A thought he entertains before settling his gaze on her once again.

He drops to the floor silently and approaches her. "Have you run out of chakra yet? If not, I would like to have a quick spar with you, Haruno-san."

Sakura's jaw slackens slightly. Never once did she think an elite, like Hyuuga Neji, would want to fight with her. It takes a moment before she straightens and inclines her head, "It would be an honour."

They back away from each other a few feet before settling into their stances. Neji's is the traditional Hyuuga style. Sakura still remembers it from the Chuunin exams. And in a year's time, she is sure Neji has improved vastly in his family's fighting style.

She on the other hand settles for a loose stance. And then it takes but a rustle of the wind before Neji charges straight at her, palms at the ready. He is slightly surprised when she is able to dodge a majority of the strikes, and even back flips away from him. He pauses slightly to regard his opponent. In the year that they haven't met, Sakura is taller, lithe but toned with muscle. He takes notice of the weights on her limbs and recalls briefly about her time training with his teammates.

And then he remembers that she is training to be a medic. And if her master is anything to go by, Sakura is a force to be reckoned with – maybe. So he waits for Sakura to make her move.

Meanwhile Sakura is thinking as many steps ahead as her brain will allow. Neji is by no means an easy opponent. He tops both Tenten and Lee. So, how does one go about fighting the ultimate defence? In a couple of minutes, she has her plan and makes her move.

Charging towards Neji, she swerves to the right at the last moment to get behind him and moves her fingers out to brush the back of his shoulder. But he manages to dodge it barely before backing away and realizing that he can no longer move the muscles in his shoulder. He stares at her, briefly stunned, before putting his guard back up. Now it his turn to be on the defense when she assaults him relentlessly, hoping to paralyse as many muscles as possible.

When Sakura backs off, they are both panting slightly. Neji breathes in before concentrates on his chakra. It flares before all his chakra points open up and he clears her chakra out. "That was a good strategy, Haruno-san, however, it is not enough," he says, and she accepts that.

He runs towards her again with his palms ready to shut off her chakra points when she gathers the last bit of chakra she has and punches the ground, releasing it to create an earthquake of sorts. The earth splits and chunks of earth spike up in response to the chakra. Neji is forced off balance and his foot slips, causing him to fall backwards.

When the dust settles, he is lying in a pile of rubble with a triumphant Sakura standing in front of him. "Truce?" she says and offers a hand –which he takes – and pulls him up.

"Haruno-san, you have improved vastly since we last met. I have no doubt that you will become one of the top medics – possibly rivalling the Hokage herself in a couple of years," he says without reservation.

She chuckles lightly and scratches at her cheek, "Thank you, Hyuuga-san. I have been working hard, but it's only begun. I still have lots of learn."

"Then, I look forward to your growth, and perhaps at the end of your apprenticeship, we can fight again." For a second time today she is shocked, but she smiles happily, "Of course, Hyuuga-san!"

The next time they meet, she is on the verge of tears.

It's only six pages, but I'm going to end it here for today.


End file.
